Building the Moon Base, One Mission at a Time
By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent Image: Artist’s concept of living and working at Moon Base, courtesy NASA “We are building the Moon Base mission by mission.” With those words, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman set the stage for a series of announcements outlining the agency’s latest steps toward establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon. The press conference took place Saturday, November 7, at the Kennedy Space Center, following the first day of the MAX POWER Air Show. Isaacman emphasized NASA’s strategy of flying frequently, learning from each mission, and applying those lessons to the next. He described it as following “the playbook that carried NASA through its greatest eras: fly often, learn, apply those lessons.” The effort will build upon NASA’s experience with the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Isaacman emphasized the importance of testing technologies, learning what works and what doesn’t, and applying those lessons in the extremely demanding lunar environment. Moon Base Press Conference. From left: George Alderman, NASA deputy